In connection with the manufacture or fabrication of, for example, bulk material product bags, that is, single ply or multi-ply paper or thermoplastic bags which are adapted to be filled with and contain bulk material products, such as, for example, pet food, cat litter, bird seed, grass seed, or the like, the bags are conventionally manufactured or fabricated in such a manner that the oppositely disposed, originally open ends of the bags are usually subsequently closed, either at the bag manufacturing plant or at the product filling plant, by means of a suitable sewing or stitching operation or process wherein closure strips are secured over the open ends of the bag by means of the aforenoted stitching or sewing operation or process. For example, as can best be appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional or PRIOR ART bulk material product bag is disclosed and is generally indicated by the reference character 100. More particularly, the bulk material product bag 100 is seen to comprise a main body bag portion 102 into which the bulk material is to be charged and contained, and a closure strip 104 which is adapted to be fixedly secured to, for example, the open upper end region of the main body bag portion 102 by means of sewn stitching 106. While the originally open upper end region of the main body bag portion 102 is therefore now closed as a result of the fixation of the closure strip 104 to the open upper end region of the main body bag portion 102 by means of the sewn stitching 106, it is to be realized that the fixation of the closure strip 104 to the open upper end region of the main body bag portion 102 by means of the sewn stitching 106 does not result in the upper end region of the bulk material product bag 100 being, in effect, hermetically sealed.
More particularly, as can best be appreciated from FIG. 2, as a result of the aforenoted sewing or stitching operation, a plurality of equally spaced holes or apertures 108 are effectively formed within the closure strip 104 and the upper end region of the main body bag portion 102 when the sewing needle pierces the closure strip 104 and the upper end region of the main body bag portion 102. Accordingly, it can be appreciated that the originally open upper end region of the main body bag portion 102 is, in effect, only closed in a spotted manner by means of the individual stitches passing through the upper end region of the main body bag portion 102. It can therefore be appreciated still further that air, contaminants, or infestation can not only potentially infiltrate the bulk material product bag 100 at the spaced locales of the upper end region of the bulk material product bag 100 which are effectively defined between the individual stitches 106 passing through the holes or apertures 108, but in addition, air, contaminants, or infestation can likewise potentially infiltrate the bulk material product bag 100 through means of the holes or apertures 108 per se. It is also to be appreciated that the sewing or stitching process or operation can only be performed at relatively low line speed rates that effectively limit the production capacity of the production line forming and completing the filled and closed bulk material product bags.
Continuing still further, it is often desired to provide bulk material product bags with handle structures in order to facilitate the carrying of such bulk material product bags by consumers. One example of a conventional or PRIOR ART bulk material product bag, having handle structure incorporated thereon, is disclosed within FIG. 3 and is generally indicated by the reference character 200. The bulk material product bag 200 is substantially the same as the bulk material product bag 100 disclosed within FIGS. 1 and 2, except as will be noted hereinafter, and therefore, component parts of the bulk material product bag 200 which correspond to the component parts of the bulk material product bag 100 will be designated by corresponding reference characters except that they will be within the 200 series. More particularly, the bulk material product bag 200 is substantially the same as the bulk material product bag 100 disclosed within FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the fact that a thermoplastic, substantially U-shaped handle structure 210 has been fixedly attached to, for example, the upper end region of the bulk material product bag 200 as a result of base portions of the handle structure 210 having been secured to the bulk material product bag 200 by means of the sewn stitching 206. It is to be noted that the handle structure 210 has been secured to the bulk material product bag 200 in the aforenoted manner such that the handle structure 210 extends downwardly and is therefore effectively incorporated within the footprint or peripheral confines of the bulk material product bag 200, that is, the handle structure 210 does not project or extend outwardly beyond any peripheral edge portion, in particular, the upper edge portion, of the bulk material product bag 200. However, it can be appreciated still further that, in view of this particular orientation or disposition of the handle structure 210 with respect to the bulk material product bag 200, when the handle structure 210 is grasped by means of a consumer in order to lift the bulk material product bag 200, the handle structure 210 will effectively then extend or be oriented upwardly whereby the weight forces, acting upon the inverted handle structure 210, will effectively tend to dislodge, tear out, or separate the handle structure 210 from the sewn stitching 206.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved bulk material product bag, and a closure therefore, wherein the closure not only closes the normally or originally open end region of the bulk material product bag, but in addition, actually serves to effectively hermetically seal the same against the penetration or infiltration of air, contaminants, and infestation; wherein the closure can be fixedly secured to the bulk material product bag by means of a fixation process which can be performed upon high-speed production lines; and wherein further, handle structure can effectively be incorporated within the overall structure of the bulk material product bag so as not to normally extend beyond the footprint or external peripheral edge or boundaries of the bulk material product bag and which will not transmit forces to the bulk material product bag which would tend to adversely affect the structural integrity of the bulk material product bag closure.